Republic of the Philippines  
Department of Health  
OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY  
 
Building 1, San Lazaro Compound, Rizal Avenue, Sta. Cruz, 1003 Manila ● Trunk Line 651 -7800 local 1108, 1111 to 13  
  Direct Line: 711 -9502 to 03 Fax: 743 -1829 ● URL: http://www.doh.gov.ph ; e-mail: ftduque@doh.gov.ph  
 
 
 
 
DRAFT AS OF 12 Jan 2023  
 
Administrative Order  
No.  - ________  
 
SUBJECT : Revised  Guidelines on Food Additives and Processing Aids, 
Repealing Administrative Order 88-A s. 1984    
 
 
I. RATIONALE  
 
The 1987 Philippines Constitution, Article II, Section 15 declares to “protect and promote the 
right to health of the people and instill health consciousness among them” Republic Act  (RA)  
No. 9711 or the “Food and Drug Administration (FDA) Act of 2009”, Section 3 declares that  
it is “a Policy of the State to adopt, support, establish, institutionalize, improve and maintain 
structures, processes, mechanisms and initiatives that are aims, directed and designed to: (a) 
protect and promote the right to health of the Filipino people ; and (b) help establish and 
maintain an effective health products regulatory system and undertake appropriate health 
manpower development and research, responsive to the country’s health needs and problems. 
Pursuant to this policy, the State must enhance its regulatory capacity and strengthen its 
capacity with regards to inspection, licensing and monitoring of establishments and registration 
and monitoring of health products.”  
 
The Implementing Rules and Regulation of RA  No. 9711 further states that the Fo od and Drug 
Administration (FDA) is tasked to “establish standards and quality measures for food and adopt 
measures to ensure quality and safe supply of food in the country.  
 
Further, R A No. 10611 or the Food Safety Act of 2013, Section 9 states that the D epartment 
of Health – Food and Drug Administration (DOH -FDA) “shall set the Mandatory food safety 
standards’’ and that “Standards shall be established on the basis of science, risk analysis, 
scientific advice from expert body / bodies, standards of other c ountries, existing Philippine 
National Standards (PNS) and the standards of the Codex Alimentarius Commission (Codex), 
where these exist and are applicable.”  
 
Administrative Order (AO) No.88 -As.1984 and Bureau Circular (BC) No.2006 -0016 need 
updating to meet the current and emerging trends in food manufacturing. In view of the above, 
these guidelines aim to update and put together the list of permitted food additives and prescribe 
standards for their use and application in food distributed in the Philippines whether locally 
manufactured or imported.  
 
 
II. OBJECTIVES  
 
            These guidelines are meant to achieve the following objectives:  
  
 
 
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 A. To establish guidelines prescribing:  
 
1. The condition under which a food additive may be safely used; and  
2. The maximum quantity of food additive which may be used or permitted to  
remain in or on such food.  
 
B. To meet the demand for specific guidance on the use of food additives and ensure  
food safety, with the increasing awareness on safe food.  
 
C. To harmonize local food regulation with international food control laws, rules and 
regulations to ensure market access opportunities.  
 
D. To update the list of permitted food additives for their use  and application in food 
distributed in the Philippines.  
 
 
III. SCOPE OF APPLICATION  
 
This Order shall apply to all manufacturers, distributors (importer, exporter, wholesaler), and 
traders of food products which shall include food additives listed herein as well as their 
maximum use levels, and foods in which additives may or may not be used.  
 
 
IV. DEFINITION OF TERMS  
 
As used in this document, terms below shall be defined as follows:  
 
A. Adulterated  refers to the food products which:  
 
1. Bears or contains any poisonous or deleterious substance that may render it 
injurious to the health of the public;  
2. Bears or contains any added poisonous or deleterious substance in amounts 
exceeding established maximum limits or standards for good manufacturing 
practice;  
3. Contains in whole or in part filthy, putrid or decomposed substance that is unfit 
for human consumption;  
4. Has been prepared, packed or held under unsanitary conditions;  
5. In whole or in part, is the product of a diseased animal or an animal which has 
died through ways other than slaughter;  
6. Is in a container having in whole or in part any poisonous or deleterious 
substance;  
7. Has been intentionally subjected to radiation unless the use of radiation is in 
conformity with an existing regulation or exemption;  
8. Becomes injurious to health because of the omission or abstraction of a valuable 
constituent; or if any substance has been substituted wholly or in part; or if 
damaged or made inferior which has been concealed in any manner; or if any 
substance has been a dded thereto or mixed or packed therewith so as to increase 
its bulk or weight, or reduce its strength or to make it appear better or greater 
than it is;   
 
 
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 9. Has not been prepared in accordance with current Good Manufacturing Practice 
(GMP)  as promulgated by way of regulation; and  
10. Uses expired ingredients.  
 
B. Acceptable Daily Intake “Not Specified” (NS) is a term applicable to a food 
substance of very low toxicity for which, on the basis of the available data (chemical, 
biochemical, toxicological, and other), the total dietary intake of the substance, arising 
from its use at the levels necessary to achiev e the desired effect and from its acceptable 
background levels in food, does not, in the opinion of Joint FAO/WHO Experts Committee 
on Food Additives (JECFA) , represent a hazard to health. For the above reason, and for 
reasons stated in individual JECFA  evaluations, establishments of an acceptable daily 
intake expressed in numerical form are not  deemed necessary by JECFA . An additive 
meeting the above criterion must be used within the bounds of good manufacturing 
practice as defined below.  
 
C. Acceptable Daily  Intake or ADI refers to an estimate by the JECFA of the amount of 
a food additive, expressed on a body weight basis (60 kg -man), that can be ingested daily 
over a lifetime without appreciable health risk. (Codex Stan 192 -1995 Rev. 2012, (WHO 
Environmental  Health Criteria No. 70, 1987)  
 
D. Artificial Synthethic Colors are substances derived from coal -tar dyes or other 
synthetic Chemical compounds.  
 
E. Natural Colors  are derived from or identical with substances derived from plant 
materials.  
 
F. Cyclamates  refer to cyclamic acids and its sodium and calcium salts.  
 
G. Enzymes are proteins capable of catalyzing  biochemical processes, acting on 
specific   substrates and in relative low amounts.  
 
H. Flavor is the sum of those characteristics of any material taken in the mouth, perceived 
principally by the senses of taste and smell, and also the general pain and tactile receptors 
in the mouth, as received and interpreted by the brain. The perception of flavor is a 
property of flavorings.  
 
I. Flavorings are produc ts that are added to food to impart, modify, or enhance the flavor 
of food (with the exception of flavor enhancers considered as food additives under the 
Codex Class Names and the International Numbering System for Food Additives – CAC 
/GL 36 -1989). Flavor ings do not include substances that have an exclusively sweet, sour, 
or salty taste (e.g. sugar, vinegar, and table salt). Flavorings may consist  of natural 
flavoring substances  and complexes, thermal process flavorings or smoke flavorings and 
mixtures of them and may contain non -flavoring food ingredients. They are not intended 
to be consumed as such.  
 
1. Flavoring substances are chemically -defined substances either formed by 
Chemical synthesis, or obtained from the materials of plant or animal origin.  
  
 
 
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 a. Natural flavoring substances    are flavoring substances 
obtained by physical processes that may result in unavoidable 
but unintentional changes in the chemical structure of the 
components of the flavoring (e.g. distillation and solvent 
extraction), or by e nzymatic or microbiological processes, from 
material plant or animal origin. Such material may be 
unprocessed, or processed for human consumption by traditional 
food-preparation processes (e.g. drying, roasting and 
fermentation). This means substances that  have been identified 
/detected in a natural material of animal or vegetable origin.  
 
b. Synthetic/artificial flavoring substances  are flavoring 
substances formed by chemical synthesis.  
 
2. Natural flavoring complexes are preparations that contain flavoring 
substances obtained by physical processes that may result in unavoidable but 
unintentional changes in the chemical structure of the flavoring (e.g. distillation 
and solvent extraction), or by enzymatic or microbiolog ical processes, from 
material of plant or animal origin. Such material may be unprocessed, or 
processed for human consumption by traditional food -preparation processes 
(e.g. drying, roasting and fermentation). Natural flavoring complexes include 
the essent ial oil, essence, or extractive, protein hydrolysate, distillate, or any 
product of roasting, heating or enzymolysis.  
 
3. Smoke flavorings are complex mixtures of components of smoke obtained by 
subjecting untreated wood to pyrolysis in a limited and controlled amount of 
air, dry distillation, or superheated steam, then subjecting the wood smoke to an 
aqueous extraction system or to distillat ion, condensation, and separation for 
collection of the aqueous phase. The major flavoring principles of smoke 
flavorings are carboxylic acids, compounds with carbonyl groups and phenolic 
compounds.  
 
J. Food Additive means any substance not normally consumed as a food by itself and not 
normally used as a typical ingredient of the food, whether or not it has nutritive value, the 
intentional addition of which to food for a technological (including organoleptic) purpose 
in the manufacture, processing, preparation , treatment, packing, packaging, transport or 
holding of such food results, or may be reasonably expected to result (directly or 
indirectly), in it or its by -products becoming a component of or otherwise affecting the 
characteristics of such foods.  
 
K. Good manufacturing practices  (GMP)  refer to a quality assurance system aimed at 
ensuring that products are consistently manufactured, packed, repacked or held to quality 
standards appropriate for the intended use. It is thus concerned with both manufacturi ng 
and quality control procedures.  
 
L. Joint FAO/WHO Expert Committee on Food Additives (JECFA) is an international 
expert scientific committee that is administered jointly by the Food and Agriculture 
Organization of the United Nations (FAO) and the World Health Organization (WHO).  
  
 
 
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 M. Maximum Level or Maximum Use Level of an additive is the highest concentration 
of the additive determined to be functionally effective in a food or food category and 
agreed to be safe by the Codex Alimentarius Commission. It is generally expressed as a 
mg additive /kg of food. The maximum use level will not usually correspond to the 
optimum, recommended, or typical level of use. Under GMP, the optimum, recommended, 
or typical use level will differ for each application of an additive and is dependent on the 
intended technical effect and the specific food in which additive would be used, taking 
into account the type of raw materials, food processing and post -manufacture storage, 
transport and handling by distributors, retailers , and consumers.  
 
N. Misbranded/Misbranding  means, in addition to definitions in existing laws, 
misinformation or misleading information on the label or other information materials 
authorized by the FDA. It shall not refer to copyright, trademark, or other intellectual 
property -like instruments.  
 
O. Non-flavoring food ingredients are food ingredients, such as food additives, and 
foodstuffs that can be added to flavorings and are necessary for dissolving, dispersing, or 
diluting flavorings, or are necessary for the production, storage, handling and use of 
flavorings.  
 
P. Processing Aid means any substance or material, not including apparatus or utensils, 
and not consumed as a food ingredient by itself, intentionally used in the processing of 
raw materials, foods or its ingredients to fulfill  a certain techn ological purpose during 
treatment or processing and which may result in the non -intentional but unavoidable 
presence of residues or derivatives in the final product.  
 
 
V. GENERAL GUIDELINES  
 
A. Only those food additives adopted by Codex Alimentarius at the proposed level of use 
for specified food categories shall be included in this Order.  
 
B. The latest Codex General Standard for Food Additives (GSFA), and its future revisions/ 
amendments / updates, shall be adopted automatically through the mandated legal 
procedures, with a maximum of five (5) year transition period  or until the validity of 
the existing CPR  for those granted with CPRs , and shall be posted in the FDA website 
as upcoming regul ations to update industries.  
 
C. Any food additive used not in accordance with the requirements of this Order shall be 
deemed to be an act which results in the food being misbranded or adulterated, as the 
case may be.  
 
VI. SPECIFIC GUIDELINES  
A. The use of food additives is justified only when such use an advantage, does not present 
an appreciable health risk to consumers, does not mislead the consumer, and serves one 
or more of the technological functions (see Annex A for the Food Additives Funct ional 
Classes, Definitions and Technological Purposes) and the needs set out below from (a)  
 
 
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 to (d), and only where these objectives cannot be achieved by the other means that are 
economically and technologically practicable:  
1. To preserve the nutritional qua lity of the food; an intentional reduction 
in the nutritional quality of a food would be justified in the 
circumstances dealt with in (b) and also in other circumstances where 
the food does not constitute a significant item in a normal diet;  
2. To provide nec essary ingredients or constituents for foods manufactured 
for groups of consumers having special dietary needs;  
3. To enhance the keeping quality or stability of a food or to improve its 
sensory properties, provided that this does not change the nature, 
subst ance or quality of the food so as to deceive the consumer;  
4. To provide aids in the manufacture, processing, preparation, treatment, 
packing, transport or storage of food, provided that the additive is not 
used to disguise the effects of the use of faulty ra w materials or of 
undesirable (including unhygienic) practices or techniques during the 
course of any of these activities.  
B. Where there is no national standard for specific food products, the food additive/s and 
its maximum level of use shall follow the Cod ex standard.  
For products with PNS, the maximum level to be used shall be based on the latest GSFA 
with its corresponding Food Category for existing or listed food additive/s in the PNS.  
However, if a specific food additive in a PNS is not listed in the la test GSFA under its 
corresponding Food Category, the food additive in the PNS may still be used within its 
maximum level until an updated GSFA list is adopted with its inclusion in the list and 
with corresponding updated maximum level. Otherwise, a specifi c food additive in a 
PNS shall be delisted if and when the Codex Alimentarius Commission approves its 
revocation, food safety -wise.   
C. The use of Cyclamic acid and its salts listed in GSFA and its future 
revisions/amendments/updates is allowed.  
 
D. If food additives are to be used as flavoring substances, they shall abide by the Codex 
Guidelines for the Use of Flavorings (CAC/GL66 -2008) or as listed as safe in United 
States Flavor Extracts Manufacturers Association (US FEMA), International 
Organizati on for the Flavor Industry (IOFI) and/or Generally Recognized as Safe 
(GRAS).  
 
E. The maximum level of caffeine used as flavor in cola -type beverages is 200 ppm.  
(United States Flavor Extracts Manufacturers Association (US FEMA))  
F.   All food additives covered by this Order shall be used under conditions of good 
manufacturing practice, which include the following:  
1. The quantity of the additive to food shall be limited to the lowest 
possible level necessary to accomplish its desired effect; unles s 
specifically limited by these guidelines for or to specific application;   
 
 
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 2. The quantity of the additive that becomes a component of food as a 
result of its use in the manufacturing, processing or packaging of a food 
and which is not intended to accomplish any physical, or other technical 
effect in the food itself, is reduced to the extent reasonably possible; and,  
3. The food additive is of food grade quality and is prepared and handled 
in the same way as a food ingredient.  
G. Food additives used in accordance wi th this Order should be of appropriate food grade 
quality and should at all times conform with the applicable Specifications of Identity 
and Purity recommended by the Codex Alimentarius Commissions or, in the absence 
of such specifications, with appropriat e specifications developed by responsible 
national or international bodies (E.g. ASEAN). In terms of safety, food grade quality is 
achieved by conformance of additives to their specification as a whole (not merely with 
individual criteria) and through thei r production, storage, transport, and handling in 
accordance with GMP.  
 
H. For Carry -Over of Food Additives from Ingredients and Raw Materials into Foods, the 
following conditions shall be applied:  
1. The additive is acceptable for use in the raw materials or o ther 
ingredients (including food additives) according to this Order;  
2. The amount of the additive in the raw materials or other ingredients 
(including food additives) does not exceed the maximum use level 
specified in this Order;  
3. The food into which the additive is carried over does not contain the 
additive in greater quantity than would be introduced by the use of raw 
materials, or ingredients under proper technological conditions or 
manufacturing practice, consistent with this Order.  
 
I. Food Additives Not  Directly Authorized in Food Ingredients and Raw Materials may 
be used in or added to a raw material or other ingredient if the raw material or ingredient 
is used exclusively in the preparation of a food that is in conformity with these 
guidelines, provide d that any maximum level applying to the food is not exceeded.  
 
J. Carry -over of a food additive from a raw material or ingredient is unacceptable for 
foods belonging to the following food categories; unless a food additive provision in 
the specified category  is listed in this Order:  
1. 13.1 – Infant formula, follow -up formula, and formula for special 
medical purposes for infants; and  
2. Complementary foods for infants and young children.   
K. The food category system is a tool for assigning food additives used outlined  in this 
Order. The food category system applies to all foodstuffs. The food category descriptors 
are not to be treated as a legal product designation or intended, in any way, for labeling 
purposes. The food category system is based on the following princi ples:   
 
 
8 
 
 1. The food category system is hierarchical, meaning that when an additive 
is recognized for use in the general category, it is recognized for use in 
all its sub categories, unless otherwise stated.  
Similarly, when an additive is recognized for use in a  sub-category, its 
use is recognized in any further sub -categories or individual foodstuffs 
mentioned in a sub -category.  
2. The food category system is based on product descriptors of foodstuffs 
as marketed, unless otherwise stated.  
3. The food category system takes into consideration the carry -over 
principle. By doing so, the food category system does not need to 
specifically mention compound foodstuffs (e.g. prepared meals, such as 
pizza, because they may contain, pro rata, all the additives endorsed fo r 
use in their components), unless the compound foodstuff needs an 
additive that is not endorsed for use in any of its components.  
4. The food category system is used to simplify the reporting of food 
additive uses for assembling and constructing these guidel ines.  
 
L. All food manufacturers, traders, and distributors shall secure a Certificate of Product 
Registration (CPR) before engaging in sale, offer for sale, distribution, and where 
applicable the use of food additives.  
 
M. The procedure for CPR application sha ll follow the Electronic Registration System as 
prescribed in FDA Circular 2020 -033 Procedure for the Use of Electronic Registration 
System for Prepackaged Processed Food Products and its latest amendment thereof.  
 
N. Processing Aids  
 
1. The use of processing ai ds shall be guided by at least any one of the following 
latest revisions: Food Chemicals Codex, USFDA CFR Title 21, General 
Specifications and Considerations for Enzyme Preparations Used in Food 
Processing ( Food and Agriculture Organization (F AO)), or Code x Guidelines 
on Substances Used as Processing Aids (CAC/GL75 -2010).  
2. For enzymes not listed in the Specifications and Considerations for Enzyme 
Preparations Used in Food Processing (FAO) or Codex Guidelines on 
Substances Used as Processing Aids (CAC/GL75 -2010), there should be 
certification from competent authority of the country of origin.    
 
          
VII. PENALTY CLAUSE  
 
       Any establishment found to be in violation of any provision of this issuance shall be a 
ground for disapproval of application and suspension or cancellation of CPR or Authorization 
pursuant to Section 4, Article 1, Book II of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of 
RA No. 9711.   
 
 
9 
 
  
Notwithstanding the preceding paragraph, nothing in this section shall restrict the FDA in 
imposing the penalty and sanctions as prescribed under RA No. 10611 and its IRR.  
 
VIII.  TRANSITORY PROVISIONS  
 
Affected manufacturer s, traders and distributors of processed food products distributed in the 
Philippines are given a transition period as follows:  
 
A. Those granted CPRs expiring within a period of 5 years from effectivity of this 
Order shall file initial application complying with this Order after the expiration 
of the original registration;  
B. Those CPRs that have a validity of three years after the effectivity of this order 
shall file new appl ication upon its expiration with the new formulation of the 
product.  
C. Those CPR with les s than a year of validity upon effectivity of this Order shall 
be renewed for a maximum of two (2) years to give time for reformulation, after 
which, a new application shall be filed.  
D. In cases when there are still existing stocks of labels on the current C PR and 
stocks may be still available by the time of filing of new CPR and its approval, 
exhaustion may be allowed with a maximum of six months. Inventory shall be 
submitted to the FDA.  
 
 
IX. PENALTY CLAUSE  
 
Any establishment found to be in violation of any provision of this issuance shall be a ground 
for disapproval of application and suspension or cancellation of CPR or Authorization pursuant 
to Section 4, Article 1, Book II of the Implementing Rules and Regulations (IRR) of RA No. 
9711.  
 
Notwithstanding th e preceding paragraph, nothing in this section shall restrict the FDA in 
imposing the penalty and sanctions after the transition period as prescribed under RA No. 
10611 and its IRR.  
 
 
X. SEPARABILITY  CLAUSE  
 
If any part or provision of this Order is rendered invalid by any court of law or competent 
authority, the remaining parts or provisions not affected shall remain valid and effective.  
 
 
XI. REPEALING CLAUSE   
 
Administrative Order No. 88 -A s. 1984 or the “Regulatory Guidelines Concerning Food 
Additives”, Administrative Order No. 122 s. 1970 or the  “General Regulation Governing the 
Prohibition of the Use of Cyclamic Acid and its Salts (B -6.3. Food Additives and 
Preservatives)”, Bureau Circular 2006 -016 or t he “Updated List of Food Additives ” and other  
 
 
10 
 
 related issuances inconsistent or contrary to the provisions of this Administrative Order are 
hereby repealed accordingly.  
 
 
XII. EFFECTIVITY  
 
This Order shall take effect fifteen (15) days after its publication in  the Official Gazette or in 
any newspaper of general circulation and upon filing with the University of the Philippines 
Law Center Office of the National Administrative Register .  
 
 
 
                                                    DR. MARIA ROSARIO S. VERGEIRE, MPH, CESO II  
                                                                 Officer -In-Charge, Secretary of Health  
 
DTN  20220321155850  
                                                                          
Office  Food and Drug Administration  Office of the Secretary  
 
 
Initial   
 
 
DR. SAMUEL A. ZACATE  
Director General   
 
 
ATTY. FATIMA P. LAPERAL  
Head Executive Assistant  
Date    
 
 
 
Keywords  Food Additives, Processing Aids  
Related issuances, laws, 
directives from other 
government agencies  Administrative Order (AO) 88 -A s. 1984 Bureau Circular (BC) 2006 -0016 Administrative 
Order (AO) 103 -A s. 1984 Administrative Order (AO) 112 s. 1985  
Administrative Order (AO) 122 s. 1970  
 
 
 
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 ANNEX A  
 
FOOD ADDITIVES FUNCTIONAL CLASSES,  
DEFINITIONS AND TECHNOLOGICAL PURPOSES  
 
 
TABLE 1:     
 
Functional Classes  Definition  Technological Purpose  
1. Acidity regulator  
 A food additive, which controls 
the acidity or alkalinity of a 
food.  Acidity regulator, acid, acidifier, 
alkali, base,  
buffer, buffering agent, pH 
adjusting agent  
2. Anticaking agent  
 A food additive, which reduces the  
tendency of components of food 
to adhere to one another.  Anticaking agent, anti -stick  
agent, drying agent, dusting 
agent  
3. Antifoaming agent  A food additive, which prevents or  
reduces foaming.  Antifoaming agent,  
defoaming agent  
4.Antioxidant  A food additive, which prolongs the  
shelf -life of foods by protecting 
against deterioration caused by 
oxidation.  Antioxidant, antioxidant  
synergist, anti -browning 
agent  
5.  Bleaching agent  A food additive (non -flour use) used 
to 
decolorize food. Bleaching agents 
do not include pigments.  Bleaching agent  
6. Bulking agent  A food additive, which contributes 
to the bulk of a food without 
contributing  
significantly to its available 
energy value.  Bulking agent, filler  
7. Carbonating agent  A food additive used to provide  
carbonation in a food.  Carbonating agent  
8. Carrier  A food additive used to dissolve, 
dilute, disperse or otherwise 
physically modify a food additive or 
nutrient without altering its function 
(and without exerting any 
technological effect itself) in order to 
facilitate its handling, application or 
use of the food additive  
or nutrients . Carrier, carrier solvent, nutrient 
carrier, diluent for other food 
additives, encapsulating agent   
 
 
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 9. Color  A food additive, which adds or 
restores  
color in a food.  Color, decorative pigment,  
surface colorant  
10. Color retention  
agent  A food additive, which stabilizes, 
retains or intensifies the color of a food  Color retention agent, color  
fixative, color stabilizer, 
color adjunct  
11. Emulsifier  A food additive, which forms or 
maintains a uniform emulsion of two or 
more phases in a food.  Emulsifier, plasticizer, 
dispersing agent, surface active 
agent, crystallization inhibitor, 
density adjustment agent 
(flavoring oils in beverages), 
suspension agent, clouding  
agent  
12. Emulsifying salt  A food additive, which, in the 
manufacture of processed food, 
rearranges proteins in order to prevent  
fat separation.  Emulsifying salt, melding salt  
13. Firming agent  A food additive, which makes or 
keeps tissues of fruit or vegetables 
firm and crisp, or interacts with 
gelling agents to  
produce or strengthen a gel.  Firming agent  
14. Flavor enhancer  A food additive, which enhances 
the existing taste and/or odor of a 
food.  Flavor enhancer, flavor synergist  
15. Flour treatment 
agent  A food additive, which is added to 
flour or dough to improve its baking 
quality or color.  Flour treatment agent, flour 
bleaching agent, flour improver, 
dough conditioner, dough  
strengthening agent  
16. Foaming agent  A food additive, which makes it 
possible to form or maintain a 
uniform dispersion of a gaseous 
phase in liquid  
or solid food.  Foaming agent, whipping 
agent, aerating agent  
17. Gelling agent  A food additive, which gives a food  
texture through formation of a gel.  Gelling agent  
18. Glazing agent  A food additive, which when applied 
to the external surface of a food, 
imparts a shiny appearance or 
provides a protective coating.  Glazing agent, sealing agent, 
coating agent, surface -
finishing agent, polishing 
agent, film - forming agent  
19. Humectant  A food additive, which prevents Humectant, moisture -  
 
 
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 food from drying out by 
counteracting the  
effect of a dry atmosphere.  retention agent , wetting  
agent  
20. Packaging gas  A food additive gas, which is 
introduced into a container before, 
during or after filling with food 
with the intention to protect the 
food, for  
example, from oxidation or spoilage.  Packaging gas  
21. Preservative  A food additive, which prolongs the 
shelf -life of a food by protecting 
against deterioration caused by 
micro - organisms.  Preservative, antimicrobial 
preservative, antimycotic 
agent, bacteriophage control 
agent, fungistatic agent, anti -
mold and anti - 
rope a gent, antimicrobial 
synergist  
22. Propellant  A food additive gas, which expels a  
food from a container.  Propellant  
23. Raising agent  A food additive or a combination of 
food additives, which liberate(s) gas 
and thereby increase(s) the volume 
of a 
dough or batter.  Raising agent  
24. Sequestrant  A food additive, which controls the  
availability of a cation.  Sequestrant  
25. Stabilizer  A food additive, which makes it 
possible to maintain a uniform  
dispersion of two or more 
components.  Stabilizer, foam stabilizer, 
colloidal stabilizer,  
emulsion stabilizer  
26. Sweetener  A food additive (other than a mono - or 
disaccharide sugar), which imparts a  
sweet taste to a food.  Sweetener, intense sweetener, 
bulk sweetener  
27. Thickener  A food additive, which increases the 
viscosity of a food.  o Binder, bodying agent,  
o texturizing agent,  
o thickener,  
o thickener synergist  
 
Reference: Class Name and the International Numbering System for Food Additives (CXST 
36-1989) Revised 2021.   
 
 
  
 
 
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 ANNEX B  
 
LIST OF FOOD PRODUCTS HIGHLY CONSUMED BY THE FILIPINO 
POPULATION IDENTIFIED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF SCIENCE AND 
TECHNOLOGY  
– FOOD AND NUTRITION RESEARCH INSTITUTE (DOST -FNRI)  
(The Philippine Nutrition Facts and Figures 2015*)  
 
 
 
 
FOOD CATEGORY  SPECIFIC FOOD PRODUCTS  
Cereal and Cereal Products  Corn -based products  
 Pasta and Noodles  
 Batters (e.g. for breading or batters for fish 
and poultry)  
Bakery Wares  Biscuits, Crackers, Cookies  
 Packaged Cakes, Muffins, donuts and breads  
Confectionery  Decorations, Toppings and Sauces/ fillings 
for fine bakery wares/ products  
Spices, Soups, Sauces  Seasonings and Condiments  
 Mixes for Soups and Sauces  
Beverages  Water -based flavored Drinks including 
concentrates  
 Coffee, Tea, hot cereal and grain beverages  
Dairy Products  
 Flavored Milk Drinks